Shut Up & Sing (2006)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Directors:

Barbara Kopple
Cecilia Peck

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Tagline:

Freedom of speech is fine as long as you don't do it in public.

Plot:

A documentary on the Dixie Chicks in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.

Plot Keywords:

Music Producer | Songwriter | Sister Sister Relationship | Intolerance | Political

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Natalie Maines	...	Herself
Emily Robison	...	Herself
Martie Maguire	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clayton Allen	...	Himself
Billy B.	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Beane	...	Himself
Cindi Berger	...	Herself
Barbara Boxer	...	Herself (archive footage)
Aaron Brown	...	Himself (archive footage)
Pat Buchanan	...	Himself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Randy Carroll	...	Himself
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Anderson Cooper	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lewis Dickey	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rebecca Hagelin	...	Herself (archive footage)
Smokey Hormel	...	Himself (as Gregory 'Smokey' Hormel)
Darlene Kegan	...	Herself
Toby Keith	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rob Light	...	Himself
Eva Ruth Maguire	...	Herself
Gareth Maguire	...	Himself
Kathleen Emilie Maguire	...	Herself
Bill Maher	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lloyd Maines	...	Himself
Kidd Manning	...	Himself
John McCain	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Meglen	...	Himself
Bill O'Reilly	...	Himself (archive footage)
Adrian Pasdar	...	Himself
Jackson Slade Pasdar	...	Himself
Mindi Pelletier	...	Herself
Colin Powell	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robin Quivers	...	Herself (archive footage)
Simon Renshaw	...	Himself
Charlie Robison	...	Himself
Henry Benjamin Robison	...	Himself
Julianna Tex Robison	...	Herself
Charles Augustus Robsion	...	Himself
Rick Rubin	...	Himself
Donald Rumsfeld	...	Himself (archive footage)
Diane Sawyer	...	Herself (archive footage)
Jim Scott	...	Himself
Chad Smith	...	Himself
Gordon Smith	...	Himself (archive footage)
Howard Stern	...	Himself (archive footage)
Chris Testa	...	Himself
Richard Wilkins	...	Himself
Dan Wilson	...	Himself
E.J. Wojtowitz	...	Himself
Paula Zahn	...	Herself (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (International: English title) (long title)
Shut Up and Sing (USA) (alternative spelling)
Untitled Dixie Chicks Documentary (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | USA:R (Adult language) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-3 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Cabin Creek Films

Trivia:

"Shut Up and Sing" is also the name of a best-selling book by conservative talk radio pundit Laura Ingraham. In her book, Ingraham skewers the Dixie Chicks and other musical acts who use their concerts and television appearances to voice their political opinions.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Natalie is wearing a shirt that states "Dare to Be Free," in one shot the image is mirrored left to right. Evident in the text and her hair are reversed.

Quotes:

Old Man with Sunglasses: Freedom of speech is fine, but by god, you don't do it outside of the country and you don't do it in mass publicly.

Movie Connections:

References Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)

Soundtrack:

Lubbock and Leave It

Wonderful and inspiring movie with a great beat

I also saw this movie at TIFF and thought it one of the highlights of the festival. Like the music that envelopes it, this film was worth the wait. The film shows the band as professional, very talented, and still growing in their musicianship and performing skills. At the same time, Kopple and Peck capture the personalities and heart that are at the center of the band and their music. The film is revealing about the American's media's trivializing of dissent about the Iraq war and the deep antagonisms within American society -- antagonisms that defy country v. rock v. pop v. classical labels. It clearly shows some of the ill effects of the media monopolies newly permitted by the FCC. The Dixie Chicks were ahead of some of their audience in recognizing the disastrous nature of the war but many in that audience have now caught up with those sentiments and the Dixie Chicks have broadened their audience and their music since then. The music is terrific! What a great film!